Sophia Wellbeloved was born in Dublin, Ireland, and is a historian of Western Esotericism, with special reference to 1920s and 1930s Paris, focusing on the life and writings of
G. I. Gurdjieff
George Ivanovich Gurdjieff ( – 29 October 1949) was a philosopher, mystic, spiritual teacher, composer, and movements teacher. Born in the Russian Empire, he briefly became a citizen of the First Republic of Armenia after its formation in 19 ...
(1866? – 1949).
Education
She received her education at
Newtown Quaker School, Ireland, 1951-55;
Beechlawn Tutorial College, Oxford, 1955-56;
Ruskin School of Art
The Ruskin School of Art is the Department of Fine Art at the University of Oxford, England. It is part of Oxford's Humanities Division.
History
The Ruskin School of Art grew out the Oxford School of Art, which was founded in 1865 and later ...
, Oxford, 1955-56;
Saint Martin's School of Art
Saint Martin's School of Art was an art school, art college in London, England. It offered foundation and degree level courses. It was established in 1854, initially under the aegis of the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Saint Martin's beca ...
, London, 1956-60;
Central School of Art and Design
The Central School of Art and Design was a school of fine and applied arts in London, England. It offered foundation and degree level courses. It was established in 1896 by the London County Council as the Central School of Arts and Crafts.
...
, London, 1961;
King's College, London
King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...
, Ph.D. 1996–99. She has identified her tutors and influences as
Cecil Collins, 1960-61;
Henriette Lannes,
Maurice Deselle,
Henri Tracol, and others in the Gurdjieff Society, London, 1962–75; the Rev. Donald Reeves and the Anglican community at St. James Church, Piccadilly, 1984-2004.
Awarded a PhD at King's College, London in 1999.
Work
From 1984 to 1991, she worked as a part-time tutor teaching sculpture at Central Saint Martins.
Exhibitions (1980–92): Royal Festival Hall, Bath Festival, Henley Festival,
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...
; Domenga Gallery, Basle, Switzerland, and at Art Fairs in Basle, London, and Los Angeles.
Wellbeloved was a member of the Gurdjieff Society in London between 1962 and 1975.
Wellbeloved is the author of research papers and books relating to Gurdjieff, these include ''Gurdjieff, Astrology & Beelzebub’s Tales'' (Solar Bound, 2002) and ''Gurdjieff: The Key Concepts'' (Routledge, 2003). George Adams reviewing ''Gurdjieff: The Key Concepts'' suggests that "given the generally unsystematic and occasionally chaotic nature of Gurdjieff's teachings, Wellbeloved's book serves as a very useful introduction to Gurdjieff, offering an orienting structure that is not found in Gurdjieff's published works."
She was the Director of Lighthouse Editions, 2005 – 2012, which published books related to Gurdjieff, and a co-founder in 2006 of the Cambridge Centre for the Study of Esotericism.
Works
* ''Gurdjieff, Astrology & Beelzeub's Tales'', Solar Bound, New Palz, N.Y., 2002
* ''Gurdjieff: The Key Concepts'', Routledge, London and New York, 2003
* ''48 Trojan Herrings & Tripidium'', Waterloo Press, Hove, 2008
* ''Praying for Flow'', Waterloo Press, Hove, 2011
References
External links
gurdjieffbooks.wordpress.com(for news, reviews, and events related to G. I. Gurdjieff)
ccwe.wordpress.com(for the Cambridge Centre for the study of Western Esotericism)
sophiawellbelovedpoetry.wordpress.com(for poetry)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wellbeloved, Sophia
1940 births
Fourth Way
Irish women artists
Living people
Writers from County Dublin
Alumni of King's College London
Alumni of Saint Martin's School of Art
Alumni of the Central School of Art and Design
Western esotericism scholars
People educated at Newtown School, Waterford
Artists from County Dublin